Pharmacy (from the Greek φάρμακον
'pharmakos' = drug) is the health profession that links the health sciences
with the chemical sciences, and it is charged with ensuring the safe and
effective use of medication. The scope of pharmacy practice includes more
traditional roles such as compounding and dispensing medications, and it
also includes more modern services related to patient care, including clinical
services, reviewing medications for safety and efficacy, and providing drug
information. Pharmacists, therefore, are the experts on drug therapy and
are the primary health professionals who optimize medication use to provide
patients with positive health outcomes. The term is also applied to an establishment
used for such purposes.